Beyond the Ball partnership empowers female leaders of tomorrow.

Fresh from the field of play at the Beyond the Ball celebration event at Sligo Rovers F.C. The partnership of the International Fund for Ireland and the Rio Ferdinand Foundation announces its investment in women’s leadership across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Great Britain. 

The ‘Beyond the Ball’ programme is about more than just the beautiful game. At its heart is an ambition to unite and educate, providing opportunities for young people to learn skills, build relationships and become future leaders. 

Pioneering women’s leadership is a fundamental part of Beyond the Ball. Following Linen Hall Belfast’s Peace Heroines exhibition, which features Peacebuilder and IFI Board member Anne Carr, the IFI and Rio Ferdinand Foundation partnership celebrates the role of women in building and maintaining the peace process, a collaborative approach that has been recognised since the 19th century.

Today’s announcement follows a women’s empowerment workshop hosted during the Beyond the Ball celebration event at Sligo Rovers F.C. on 27th March. Young women from Belfast, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Derry/Londonderry, Donegal, Leitrim, and Sligo had the opportunity to ask questions of and be inspired by the careers of T.V. personality Kate Ferdinand, Northern Ireland international and serving PSNI officer Ashley Hutton, Irish international Emma Hansberry, and International Fund for Ireland board member Bernie Butler. 

Twenty-four young women from Ireland, Northern Ireland, London, and Manchester subsequently came together for a four-day event in Manchester (3rd - 6th May) to engage in accredited leadership skills training, the first step on their leadership journey. 

The visit to Manchester encouraged young people to develop lasting cross-border relationships and share experiences and challenges as part of a collaborative ambition to build stronger, safer, and more inclusive communities on a cross-border and East-West basis.

Whilst in Manchester the young people took part in workshops on empowerment, communication, and teamwork and have now formed the initial membership of the Beyond the Ball Advisory Group, a leadership that represents the voices of their peers and communities and will engage with stakeholders in policing, community safety, housing, education, and sports to shape the project over the next 18 months,

“The Rio Ferdinand Foundation is committed to developing the skills of young people and giving them a voice to influence change. This is especially so for young women who are often denied a voice and a platform to make a difference. There are many high-profile examples of women who have shaped recent events on the island of Ireland and indeed, have gone on to make an impression on the world stage. and we are now developing a new generation of young women who can make a difference in their communities and build relationships across borders through the Beyond The Ball project and our partnership with the International Fund for Ireland.”

Rhiannon Watts – Director of Development, Rio Ferdinand Foundation